


A Perfect Fit

by stellarmeadow



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Birthday, Buck's an old man now apparently, Eddie Diaz Week 2020, Firefam Feels, Fluff, M/M, Unapologetic fluffiness, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarmeadow/pseuds/stellarmeadow
Summary: Yeah, he and Buck argued—they could blow the roof off the house sometimes with their arguments. But Eddie tried so hard to be careful not to go too far. To keep his toes just shy of the line.Because they might argue like an old married couple, but they weren’t married. There was nothing holding Buck back from leaving if he really wanted.Then again, he’d been married to Shannon, and that hadn’t stopped her from leaving. Twice.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788046
Comments: 23
Kudos: 369





	A Perfect Fit

“You know, Buck,” Bobby said, leaning into Athena as she perched on the arm of his chair, “you’re no longer a young bachelor.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Buck asked. 

“It means you’re not getting any younger,” Bobby said. 

Buck shrugged, as he turned to grin at Eddie, nudging him in the side with one elbow. “Hey, I’ll always be younger than this guy, so that’s what matters, right?”

“Hey,” Chim said, “there may be a day you’ll regret saying that.” Maddie hit him with a pillow. “What? I’m just saying that stamina—”

The pillow got him right in the face and lingered a moment. “As your _slightly_ older sister,” Maddie said, giving Chim a look, “I think that your best years are still ahead of you.”

Buck snuggled into Eddie’s side and smiled up at him. “I totally agree.” 

That smile, the sheer look of contentment, and the boneless way Buck just relaxed into him in front of their whole extended family warmed Eddie from the inside out. ‘No longer a young bachelor’ stuck in Eddie’s head, though. 

Had Buck been thinking along those lines leading up to his 30th birthday? 

“I mean, it’s not like you and Eddie aren’t practically married anyway,” Hen said with a laugh. “Or at least you sure argue like an old married couple!” 

“Hey!” Karen said, but she didn’t move from her spot curled up under Hen’s arm. Hen leaned in and whispered something in Karen’s ear that had her laughing and leaning up for a kiss. 

It was so similar to what he and Buck had just done a moment ago, but there was something about it. Yeah, he and Buck argued—they could blow the roof off the house sometimes with their arguments. But Eddie tried so hard to be careful not to go too far. To keep his toes just shy of the line. 

Because they might argue like an old married couple, but they weren’t married. There was nothing holding Buck back from leaving if he really wanted.

Then again, he’d been married to Shannon, and that hadn’t stopped her from leaving. Twice.

But then their commitment had been born out of necessity. Both of their families had been of the ‘you play, you pay’ mindset, and well, they’d played, and Christopher was on the way, so they’d paid.

If he and Buck got married, it would be solely because they wanted it. A commitment they were making free of any metaphorical guns pointed at their heads. 

Eddie looked around the room, imagining it decorated differently, the Happy Birthday banner replaced with Just Married, and their family all dressed up from the wedding. 

The strong surge of want startled him. 

“Hey,” Buck said, frowning up at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just—I gotta go hit the bathroom.”

Buck let him up, but Eddie could feel the worried look follow him out of the room.

He didn’t actually need the bathroom, but he went in, closed the door, and sat down on the toilet with the lid still down. The idea of marrying Buck had taken a firm hold, and Eddie realized he didn’t want to let it go. He wanted to stand up and tell everyone that Evan Buckley was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

And he didn’t want to wait another day to ask.

Eddie flushed the toilet and washed his hands, even though he hadn’t needed to do either, because Buck had freakishly good hearing, and Eddie didn’t need Buck to be suspicious. He made a quick stop in his room before heading back to the living room, though, searching through his old Army bag that Buck never bothered to find the small, worn box hidden inside some old gear. 

At the time, he’d wondered why Abuela chose this year to give it to him for his birthday a few months before. Now, he realized she was, as always, a lot smarter than Eddie would ever be.

He pulled the ring out, smiling as he thought of all the times he’d seen it on his Abuelo’s finger, before he slipped it into his pocket, put the box away, and left his room. 

He stopped to check on Chris, who was fast asleep, before heading back to the living room, just to have an excuse for how long he’d been gone. Buck didn’t ask, though, distracted by the others, who were up and saying their goodbyes. 

A few minutes later, Eddie reveled in the silence for just a moment before pulling Buck into a kiss. “Happy birthday,” Eddie said against Buck’s lips.

“Thanks.” Buck kissed him back. “And thanks for my present.” 

“You’re welcome.” Eddie had gone with practical, a new Leatherman multi-tool to replace the one Buck had been using for years. That it was something Buck could use to keep himself safe was the underlying message, and the soft smile Buck had given him as he’d tucked the tool away had assured him the message was received. 

“Both my presents, actually,” Buck said with another kiss.

Eddie leaned back, frowning. Surely he hadn’t guessed…? “Both?” 

“The tool,” Buck said, smiling, “and you.”

“You have me every day.”

Buck’s smile turned into his million-watt grin. “Yeah, and that’s the best present every day.” 

Fuck…what could Eddie say to that? 

Except….

“Actually, I have one more present for you,” Eddie said, reaching into his pocket. Before Buck had enough time to figure it out, Eddie dropped down to one knee, holding up the ring. “Will you marry me?”

Buck stared at him for a second before he shook himself. “Yes,” he said quickly, yanking Eddie to his feet and into a kiss. “Yes. Absolutely.” 

Several kisses later, Eddie leaned back to hold up the ring again. “It was my Abuelo’s,” he said, “so if it doesn’t fit, we can have it resized, unless you want something new?”

“No.” Buck held out his hand, and Eddie put it on his ring finger easily, like it was made for him. “See? A perfect fit.” Buck looked up through his lashes. “Like it was meant to be.”

As he pulled Buck into another kiss, Eddie had to agree.

\--  
END

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make me smile all day long! (And fuel the bunnies...) ❤️


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